THIS IS US: The First Season: Memphis
Beautiful, heartbreaking family drama for discerning adults.
Should You Watch It?
“Memphis” is a beautiful, heartbreaking hour about family, loyalty, grief, and the deep bond between a father and son. Randall takes his biological father, William, on a road trip back to Memphis, where William shares his history and Randall learns more about the man he has only known for a short time.
The episode’s Christian moral worldview gives its grief a strong foundation. Family, marriage, children, and compassionate care matter here. A man asks God’s blessing on a couple, and a priest reads the Bible with a dying man.
But the episode also includes mature content involving substance abuse, drugs, smoking, foul language, and anger. Adults who can engage those elements thoughtfully should watch it; families with children or young teens should choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAfter recovering from a breakdown, Randall takes William, his biological father, on a road trip to Memphis. The journey opens a window into William’s childhood, musical ambitions, family history, and struggles.
As father and son travel together, Randall discovers more about William’s past and the connection they share. Their time in Memphis brings old wounds, family love, and difficult truths to the surface.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this episode succeeds as deeply moving television. “Memphis” offers a beautiful yet heartbreaking glimpse into William’s past, while showing the powerful connection between Randall and William after only a short time together.
The episode also uses a meaningful emotional parallel when Randall comforts William with the same technique Jack once used to comfort Randall as a boy. The result is a moving family drama with strong moral purpose.
The Worldview
“Memphis” presents a strong Christian, moral worldview centered on the value of family, marriage, and children. The father-son relationship receives particular attention, especially as Randall learns William’s history and cares for him through suffering.
The episode also treats prayer, kindness, Scripture, and spiritual care as meaningful. A man asks God’s blessing on a couple because of their kindness, and a priest comes to the bedside of a dying man to read the Bible with him. The story’s moral center is found in love expressed through loyalty, compassion, and presence.
The episode connects family love with the call to carry one another through pain. Scripture says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
<b>
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Strong Christian, moral worldview with an emphasis on the value of family, marriage, and children (especially the father/son relationship), a man asks God’s blessing on a couple for their kindness, and a priest comes to the bedside of a dying man to read the Bible with him; <b>
Foul Language
</b>11 obscenities and two profanities; <b>
Violence
</b>Two women shown slapping a man behaving like a womanizer; <b>
Sex
<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>No sexual content; <b>
Nudity
<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>No nudity; <b>
Alcohol Use
A </b>man gets drunk at a bar, people shown drinking at a bar several times, men drink beer on several occasions; <b>
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Several men are shown smoking, people shown passing around a joint several times, a woman gets high, and drug needles are shown; and, <b>
Miscellaneous Immorality
<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Some anger.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Randall and William build a deep connection even though they have known each other for only a short time. What helps a relationship grow when time cannot be recovered?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Romans 12:10William’s story includes grief, addiction, and the need for care. How can a family respond to suffering without excusing destructive choices?
Galatians 6:1–2 · James 5:16The episode presents fatherhood as a source of comfort and identity. What does Scripture teach about God’s care for His children?
Psalm 103:13 · Matthew 7:11A priest reads the Bible beside a dying man. How can Scripture bring comfort when a family faces death?
Psalm 23:4 · John 11:25–26The Final Word
“Memphis” is moving, morally serious television about family love, loyalty, grief, and compassion. Its mature substance-abuse content and other concerns make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults, it is WORTH WATCHING — ADULTS ONLY.
